Interesting, it looks awfully like a Robertson drive. I actually came across Robertson screws in the UK in the '90s. They were supplied to assemble a garden shed which as it turned out was made in Canada. There was a Robertson drive screwdriver bit included so as not to confuse us Brits.

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It's the image that's important, not the tools used to make it.

Interesting, it looks awfully like a Robertson drive. I actually came across Robertson screws in the UK in the '90s. They were supplied to assemble a garden shed which as it turned out was made in Canada. There was a Robertson drive screwdriver bit included so as not to confuse us Brits.

Yes, in some packets of SQ2 screws they also include a bit (or at least they did a few years ago). I noticed there is an SQ3 as well but SQ2 is the norm here in all the screws I've seen (or used). The square design is so simple & positive in drive it is a wonder it wasn't used many years ago instead of a hex drive.

If you look on You Tube there are plenty of videos showing you how allen keys work. I would start with 'unboxing my allen keys' although it sounds as if you have already rushed in and bypassed this step, which is a pity. Please bear in mind that allen keys have been specifically designed to round the slot in the screw head, so if this is not the result you are after I would stick with your sledge hammer. It is what I always use.

It you look on You Tube there are plenty of videos showing you how allen keys work. I would start with 'unboxing my allen keys' although it sounds as if you have already rushed in and bypassed this step, which is a pity. Please bear in mind that allen keys have been specifically designed to round the slot in the screw head, so if this is not the result you are after I would stick with your sledge hammer. It is what I always use.

It you look on You Tube there are plenty of videos showing you how allen keys work. I would start with 'unboxing my allen keys' although it sounds as if you have already rushed in and bypassed this step, which is a pity. Please bear in mind that allen keys have been specifically designed to round the slot in the screw head, so if this is not the result you are after I would stick with your sledge hammer. It is what I always use.

Yes, in some packets of SQ2 screws they also include a bit (or at least they did a few years ago). I noticed there is an SQ3 as well but SQ2 is the norm here in all the screws I've seen (or used). The square design is so simple & positive in drive it is a wonder it wasn't used many years ago instead of a hex drive.

There's 6 different sizes of Robertson sockets but only 3 or 4 seem to be in common use.

And yes, the design is so simple and positive I'm surprised they aren't more common.

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It's the image that's important, not the tools used to make it.

There's 6 different sizes of Robertson sockets but only 3 or 4 seem to be in common use.

And yes, the design is so simple and positive I'm surprised they aren't more common.

The Robertson design would seem to have some practical advantages over the regular Philips or Pozidrive heads, (there and many of these and most are incompatible ), but for rapid assembly using powered tools the Philips/Pozidrive heads are still quicker and easier to use by virtue of their self-centering action.

The Robertson design is not inherently self-centering, and using a power tool it would take too long to engage the tool in the head before toque could be applied. Anyone who has tried to use a flat-bladed screwdriver head with a power tool will know what I mean!

Size for size, the well established hexagonal key and socket (Allen is a registered trade mark of the Apex Tool Group) provides a better, more secure drive, with greater surface contact than is possible with a square socket. A hexagonal drive is also better in tight spaces where a quarter or half of a turn is not always possible.

It is as well to remember that most of the newer drive systems, such as Torx, Pozidrive and their variants have been designed to save time and reduce mistakes/unintentional damage in production environments. They are not necessarily designed for DIY use!